Observations: Objects in Andromeda

The following are objects in the constellation Andromeda for which I have logged some of my observations over the years. It might be interesting for you to compare to your own observations. These aren't necessarily the "best" or most popular objects to view, although most of those are included if I logged them, but some are targets of opportunity that were near other objects I was viewing, challenge objects, or just whatever I felt like viewing at the time based on my mood, instrument, and sky conditions. They are grouped here by type (galaxies by elliptical, spiral, etc.), in alpha-numeric order. 

The sky conditions at the various sites vary considerably and have changed over the years. Therefore, I've only provided a very basic description. I don't generally note sky conditions in any systematic way, although for each session I will often mention what the seeing is on the Pickering Scale (1-10), transparency, and if clouds were hindering the observations, etc. These are general impressions, not scientific observations and aren't included in most observations.

The data on individual objects comes from Sky Safari 6 Pro, which in turn comes from various catalogs and sources. It contains some errors and discrepancies, as is usual for any astronomical dataset. I take responsibility for any errors and inconsistencies in my own observations (there are many!).

I may update the post with additional observations of the same or additional objects, as I have many observing recordings from before "speech to text" that I still haven't transcribed and put into my database. I absolutely hate transcribing.

Please feel free to share your own observations of any of these objects in the comments.

See a listing of observing sites, with approximate darkness indicated, and details on the instruments used at the end of this post.

Charts are adapted from Cartes du Ciel. Images are from Aladin Lite (DSS2).

36 ANDROMEDAE

36 And, HR 258, HD 5286, SAO 74359, BD +22 146, HIP 4288, STF 73, ADS 755

Type: Double Star

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 5.5

Mag2: 6.54

Separation ("): 1.2

Notes:

Nov. 19-20, 2023, Sterling, VA

(4.5 inch) This one has a 5.5 mag primary and a 6.5 mag secondary. The separation is only 1.2 arc seconds, and that goes down to less than an arc second at certain times, but I believe Sky Safari is showing the current separation. In this seeing I doubt if I'll be able to split it but I'll give it a shot. Yes, a clean split when it steadies out in 200x. Very, very close though, but it's a definite split and a very good one for this telescope with decent seeing. Both components look white to me although they are listed as yellow. 

56 ANDROMEDAE

56 And, HR 557, HD 11749, SAO 55107, BD +36 355, HIP 9021, STFA 4, ADS 1534

Type: Double Star

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 5.69

Mag2: 6.07

Separation ("): 202.5

Notes:

Aug. 21-22, 2004 (Sat. night), Savage Farm, west of Leesburg, VA

(10-inch) A wide double. The primary is also double, with an 11th mag companion in 178x. The secondary is supposed to be a tighter double, but can't split it. But this scope never seems to do well on doubles anyway.

Nov. 19-20, 2023, Sterling, VA

(4.5 inch) This is an optical double only. This is really more of a binocular double but it's pretty faint. I can see it in my 6x30 finder and it really doesn't even look like a double in that, just looks like a little triangle with a third star. Not of particular interest.

GAMMA ANDROMEDAE (ALMACH)

Almach, Gamma And, 57 And, HR 603, HD 12533, SAO 37734, BD +41 395, HIP 9640, STF 205

Type: Double Star

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 2.17

Mag2: 5.02

Separation ("): 9.4

Notes:

Sep. 19-20, 1993, Ponderosa Park, Kissimmee, FL

(4.5-inch) Made an interesting comparison of Gamma Andromedae and Albireo. Albireo's stars are about twice as far apart, but they are oriented in almost the same direction and are almost identical in colors to the other pair.

Nov. 19-20, 2023, Sterling, VA

(4.5 inch) Just such a nice orange and blue contrast. The secondary does morph into an Airy disk once in awhile but the primary is just kind of all over the place. Really not a great night for doubles.

HD 223718 (STF 3042)

HD 223718, SAO 73565, STF 3042, WDS 23519+3753

Type: Double Star

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 7.59

Mag2: 7.75

Separation ("): 5.8

Notes:

Sep. 15, 2026 (Tue. night), Sterling, VA

(102mm Mak) White headlights, similar magnitude. 

HR 282/283 (STF 79)

HR 283, HD 5789, SAO 36833, BD +43 193, HIP 4675, STF 79, ADS 824, WDS 01001+4443

Type: Double Star

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 6.07

Mag2: 6.77

Separation ("): 7.9

Notes:

Nov. 19-20, 2023, Sterling, VA

(4.5 inch) 6.1 and 6.8 magnitude with a 7.9 arc second separation. That's a pretty nice one although there's nothing really colorful about it. Both components look white to me. Webb Society says pale blue. 

HR 9074 (STF 3050)

HR 9074, HD 224635, SAO 73656, STF 3050, WDS 23595+3343

Type: Double Star

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 6.48

Mag2: 6.72

Separation ("): 2.5

Notes:

Sep. 15, 2026 (Tue. night), Sterling, VA

(102mm Mak) Tight pair of white yellow stars of nearly the same mag.

M110

M110, NGC 205, UGC 426, PGC 2429, MCG 7-2-14, CGCG 535-14, IRAS 00376+4124, 2MASS 00402207+4141070

Type: Galaxy, Elliptical

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 8.09

Notes:

Aug. 5-6, 1994 (Fri. night) Prince of Peace Church, Freedom, PA

(4.5-inch) More diffuse and larger than M32 with no visible nuclear condensation. Not quite as bright. Possibly elongated a little N-S. 13th mag star on NW edge.

Oct. 21-22, 2006, The Mountain Institute, Spruce Knob, WV

(10-inch) I must say, that's the most extension I've seen to the arms of NCG 205 (M110)- the more diffuse satellite galaxy. Looks almost like M33 only a little more elongated and brighter.

M32

M32, NGC 221, UGC 452, PGC 2555, MCG 7-2-15, CGCG 535-16, Arp 168, IRAS 00399+4035

Type: Galaxy, Elliptical

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 7.92

Notes:

Oct. 11-12, 1993, Ponderosa Park, Kissimmee, FL

(4.5-inch) Quite bright with a very well-condensed nucleus.

Aug. 5-6, 1994 (Fri. night) Prince of Peace Church, Freedom, PA

(4.5-inch) Showing a very starlike nucleus surrounded by a diffuse glow.

NGC 404 (MIRACH'S GHOST)

NGC 404, Mirach's Ghost, UGC 718, PGC 4126, MCG 6-3-18, CGCG 520-20, IRAS 01066+3527, 2MASS 01092707+3543047

Type: Galaxy, Elliptical

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 10.31

Notes:

Dec. 23-24, 2006, Savage Farm west of Leesburg, VA

(10-inch) I zoomed out so far I didn't realize there's a galaxy right there by Beta Andromedae- NGC 404 (11.23 mag). Shows up nicely in 62x. Beta's a nice yellow-white star. With 114x I can get it out of the field a little bit and get a better view of the galaxy. It's round, brightens towards the middle pretty rapidly, stellar core. Much better to use higher power. With 178x I can get it in the center with Beta still out of the field. Not much more to see- just a round galaxy, stellar core. Maybe a blob or something just to the ENE of the core, very close in, or just a slightly brighter section right in there.

Oct. 30, 2024, Arizona Sky Village, Portal, AZ

(6-inch)  Nice, especially if you put Mirach just outside the field of view. We were looking at it in 7mm in the zoom and quite nice; pretty well condensed. Paul says he can even see it from Bellevue.

NGC 708 (Part of a small cluster of galaxies known as THE FATH)

NGC 708, The Fath, UGC 1348, PGC 6962, MCG 6-5-31, CGCG 522-39, Abell 262, 2MASS 01524648+3609065

Type: Galaxy, Elliptical

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 12.71

Notes:

Aug. 21-22, 2004 (Sat. night), Savage Farm, west of Leesburg, VA

(10-inch) I'm closing in on The Fath. I can see some of the galaxies already in 62x- the mottled fuzziness of a bunch of galaxies. I can start to differentiate some of the galaxies in 114x, but can't really nail their positions well. In 178x I can separate them better. NGC 708 must be the one on the NE end of a chain of three galaxies. There's another one to the NW which forms a right angle with NGC 708. 708 is the brightest at 13.67 mag. It's also the largest. The one to the NW is NGC 703 (14. 24 mag). The two forming a chain to the SW of NGC 708 are, in order southwestward, NGC 705 (14.63 mag) and NGC 704 (14.10 mag). There's supposed to be a CGCG galaxy a little further down, but at 15.54 mag, I'm not picking it up. I can pick up NGC 709, though, at 15.21 mag. It's just a little round patch that I can't hold in my vision constantly. I'm just getting the very faintest glimmers of that galaxy, CGCG 522-33 (15.54 mag). There's supposed to be a star right next to it, so that may be a combination of the two together that I'm seeing. NGC 705 is supposed to be an edge-on, but I just can't see more than the core of it. 708 and 704 are oval or round. I can also see NGC 710 (14.06 mag), which appears to be the largest- a slightly oval, diffuse spot with low surface brightness. I lost the field when I let it drift too far.

Oct. 21-22, 2006, The Mountain Institute, Spruce Knob, WV

(10-inch) I found the field in 62x. I can see some of the galaxies. They're not differentiated in this power, but there's a mottled blob there about 5 arcminutes in diameter. Yes, I can see the individual galaxies in there in this power. In 114x it's easier to separate the galaxies- about half dozen or so. I can pretty much figure out which one is NGC 708, being the brightest and largest one. I think that's it. I have to set up my program to show galaxies up to 16th mag. Normally I have the filter set at 14.5 mag. NGC 708 is 13.67 mag, NGC 705 is 14.63 mag, NGC 704 is 14.10, NGC 703 is 14.24 mag, NGC 709 is 15.21 mag, and then there's CGCG 522-44 at mag 15.75 and up to the SE is NGC 710 at 14.06 mag and a few other ones- NGC 700 at 15.37 mag. 

NGC 708 is the largest and brightest at 13.67 mag. It's pretty easy. Then NW of that one is another pretty easy pickup, about half the size- NGC 703 (14.24 mag). In a line with 708 is NGC 705 (14.63 mag). It's supposed to be elongated, but I really can't pick that out too well as far as the elongation goes. The third galaxy down the line- NGC 704- is brighter at 14.10 mag. CGCG 522-33 at 15.54 mag is further down the line, but I think I'm going to have to use my higher power for that one. NGC 710 at 14.06 mag is a little further to the SSE all by itself. I get the impression of a N-S elongation to it. In 114x I can definitely pick up CGCG 522-30 (15.16 mag). It seems to have a pretty bright core to it, comparatively speaking of course, as it's extremely dim. I can just make out NGC 700 (15.37 mag). It's got a N-S elongation. I can just get a few glimpses of MCG 6-5-24 (15.36 mag). It's a rather larger, roundish glow. I'm going to have to go for these in 178x, but I'm just worried about losing the field when I shift. I can't quite pull out MCG6-5-21 (15.60 mag) in 114x. I can however pull out UGC 1319 (14.49 mag). Looks like it has a NW-SE elongation, kind of diffuse. No real detail on any of these. Now I'm looking at UGC 1319 at 178x and I'm going to work my way back to the main cluster in this power. Trying for MCG 6-5-21 again. The wind is really picking up and that's making it more difficult to use the higher power. 

Even behind the windscreen it's jostling the scope a little bit. Even in 178x I can't pull out MCG 6-5-21, so I guess my limit tonight with this scope is about 15.4 or 15.5 mag. That one's about 15.6 mag and that's a little outside my limit. I can pull out MCG 6-5-24 but it's a small little round thing. In the first go-round it was difficult to see it. I'm going back to the ones I saw in 114x, trying to see them in 178x. I can pick up NGC 700 in 178x. In fact, I can see a little bit of elongation to it and a little star on the N tip of it. That star is GSC 2319 773 (15.25 mag). 

Okay, now I'm going back to the Fath itself. It's a little confusing. That line from NGC 708 goes to NGC 705, which is a little bit E-W, a little star in line, then NGC 704. I thought I got a whisper of CGCG 522-33 at 15.54 mag, but I'm not sure. Yeah, I can just get a whisper of it in 178x. So 15.54 mag is about my limit tonight. I can just pick up NGC 709 (15.21 mag) to the N, very small, almost stellar. After those really faint ones, NGC 714 at 14.03 mag is pretty easy. I can actually see an ESE-WNW elongation with a brighter condensed, not quite stellar core. A little further E of there is NGC 717 (14.80 mag), roughly in the same orientation as 714. That one's a little more diffuse, but it seems like there's a little stellar nucleus buried in there somewhere. I could go on and on with the galaxies in this area, but that's enough for this really faint stuff.

M31 (THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY)

M31, Andromeda Galaxy, NGC 224, UGC 454, PGC 2557, MCG 7-2-16, CGCG 535-17, 2MASS 00424433+4116074

Type: Galaxy, Spiral

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 3.28

Notes:

Oct. 11-12, 1993, Ponderosa Park, Kissimmee, FL

(4.5-inch) Almost at the zenith. Saw a hint of the main dark lane.

July 11-12, 1994 (Mon. night) Prince of Peace Church, Freedom, PA

(4.5-inch) In 180x there is an 11.5-12 mag star about 4' to the WSW of the nucleus.

Aug. 5-6, 1994 (Fri. night) Prince of Peace Church, Freedom, PA

(4.5-inch) Looking great in my scope at 100x. Brightest I can remember seeing it. The NW side of it seems darker than the SE side. Maybe the glow trails off slower on one side, or maybe there's more obscuring dust on the NW side? A star to the W of the nucleus, 3 or 4 arcminutes, 12.7 mag or so.

Aug. 6-7, 1994 (Sat. night), Prince of Peace Church, Freedom, PA

(BVAC 10-inch) Nice in the 32mm. The SW side shows two dark dust lanes well and one extends through the field on both sides of the nucleus, although more pronounced on the S end. Very compact nucleus. Companion galaxy to the SE fits in the same field. The other one will fit also, but not all three together. The W companion is elongated NW to SE and the difference that dust obscuration at that angle makes is apparent when comparing it to the brighter more starlike nucleus of the other, more face-on companion. As in my scope, it appears that the space W of M31 is darker than the space E of the galaxy, which figures, since the two dust lanes are on the darker, therefore dustier side.

Oct. 23-24, 2003, Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park

(4.5-inch) Can't make out the dust lanes tonight, and I still think I'm getting some fogging of the eyepieces from the cold and the dew or whatever.

Nov. 20-21, 2003 (Thu. night), Sky Meadows State Park, VA

(4.5-inch) I decided to do the dust lane test on M31 before it got too low, and could see both lanes pop into view now and then. It's like they're not even there, but in averted vision you definitely know you saw it.

Aug. 6-7, 2004 (Friday night), Crockett Park near Manassas, VA

(10-inch) It just isn't much in this sky. It was better in the 4.5-inch from Skyline Drive, where it's darker. But the Moon is also washing the sky out a bit now.

Aug. 7-8, 2004 (Sat. night), Savage Farm, west of Leesburg, VA

(10-inch) Even though it's down low, I took a look at M31. Significantly better view than from Crockett. I can make out one of the dust lanes in 124x and a hint of the second.

Aug. 21-22, 2004 (Sat. night), Savage Farm, west of Leesburg, VA

(10-inch) It's up nice and high now. Best view I've had of it in this scope so far. It almost fits in 39x. I can see both dark lanes, easier than I could ever see them in the 4.5, even from darker sites, and M110 is very large. I can see clumpiness in the dark lanes on the SW side of M31 and the nebulosity on that one arm is plainly visible in 39x. All three galaxies fit easily in the FOV, though M31 actually seems to extend beyond the field a little. The dark lanes are beautiful in 62x. There's also some clumping in them. There's a clump due west of the nucleus that thins out then gets bigger again. Directly below or NW of the nucleus, extending out even to the NNW, then that's the end of the dark lane. I can trace the inner dark lane due N, actually beyond due N. Almost looks like there are some dark lanes or some striation detail beyond the nucleus. The nebulosity is triangular or lambda shaped with the long point to the south. Ooh- a meteor right through the field. I can see clumping in the second dark band, which seems blacker than the inner one. In 114x I can see all those features and detail in the dark bands. Some mottling in the nebula cloud. I don't see anything of the globulars, but I'd need a good chart to look for them. The galaxy is almost directly overhead now.

Sep. 4 (Sat. night), Savage Farm, west of Leesburg, VA

(10-inch) I can pick up one dust lane in 62x, and now the second one dimly.

Sep. 18-19, 2004 (Sat. night), Crockett Park near Manassas, VA

(10-inch) I can see the two dust lanes immediately in 62x.

Oct. 21-22, 2006, The Mountain Institute, Spruce Knob, WV

(20-inch) I just looked in Paul H's 20-inch- a beautiful view of M31. The two dark lanes are visible right away. The outer lane is almost as dark as the inner lane. We also checked out that big nebulosity down the SW arm (NGC 206). It shows up very large and easy to see. The scope is very easy to push around- really beautiful.

(10-inch) I see why the two dark lanes jumped out so much in Paul's 20-inch. They jump right out even in my scope. That's the easiest I've ever seen the second lane. It's right there in your face. Beautiful view of them. Wow, that's just incredible. And also that nebulosity down the southern arm is much larger than I usually see it and much easier to pick out. I must say, that's the most extension I've seen to the arms of NCG 205 (M110)- the more diffuse satellite galaxy. Looks almost like M33 only a little more elongated and brighter. 

On M31, I can trace the inner lane well across to the other side of the nucleus more than halfway between the nucleus and the brighter star- about 30 arcminutes. Actually I can trace the second lane even further out on that side. There's kind of a blob there that sticks out even a little further and in fact I can trace it past that bright star-that's incredible. It looks to me like that outer dark lane has a blob just below that star out on NE arm, the opposite side from where I usually see the lanes. That star I was referring to is SAO 36609 (9 mag). I can actually see the lanes going further to the NE from there, particularly the outer of the two lanes. On the SW side I can trace both lanes out at least to M32 and a little beyond there, particularly the outer lane, which is a little more prominent on the ends. There's a little flattened triangle of stars pointing toward the nebulosity.

Jan. 20-21, 2007, Great Meadow, SW of The Plains, VA

(10-inch) I could just barely make out the dust lane. It was nice to be able to zoom in to just the right power to get the best view of the dust lane.

July 13-14, 2007 (Fri. night), The Mountain Institute, Spruce Knob, WV

(10-inch) The two dust lanes are immediately visible, even with quite a bit of twilight at this point. I can trace the inner dark lane all the way out to M32, maybe a little beyond a perpendicular line drawn down from it. The nebulous patch way out past there is also easy to make out.

Oct. 13-14, 2007 (Sat. night), The Mountain Institute, Spruce Knob, WV

(18-inch) Also looked at M31 in Mike's 18-inch Obsession. The two dust lanes stood out very well, and the HII region was big and bright.

August 12-13, 2007, Big Meadows, Shenandoah Nat. Park, VA

(10-inch) I was going to go for some faint stuff, but I decided instead I had to go for M31. Two dark lanes showing up really nicely. Both extending past the nucleus a fair amount and in the other direction quite a bit past M32. I can trace it almost as far as that star outboard from M32. Also can see the nebulosity further out and some mottling way out on the arm. 

Sep. 18-19, 2009, Green Ridge State Forest, MD

(10-inch) I’ve plotted some of the larger globulars in M31, maybe I’ll try for some of those. Ooo! Nice meteor right through the corner of the Square of Pegasus. Nice view of M31, both dark lanes are immediately visible and quite extended.  Very nice seeing both lanes at the same time. 

I can spot globular G78 in M31. It’s a bit difficult but I can pick it out with averted vision. I can tell it’s fuzzy and not a star. No, maybe it does look kind of stellar. Very faint, though. I’d say it’s 13 or 13.5 mag maybe. It’s listed as 14.2. I’m going to see if I can pick up G64. I can just pick it up occasionally in 220-250x or so. I think that one’s about the limit. 

Looking next for G280, which I got pretty easily. It’s in kind of a blank area. It’s inside a triangle of stars with two toward the SE. This one’s also listed at 14.2 mag. 

I could not pull out G279. 

G289 is listed on Rob Gendler’s image, which is what I’m using, but there’s a GSC star plotted in that position, although that’s probably it and just listed as a star in GSC- it happens. It’s quite bright so maybe Gendler doesn’t have it plotted correctly. Maybe it’s right near that star because the “star” appears much brighter than the other globulars at about 12.5 - 12.8 mag, and therefore must be a star. 

I also can’t quite pull out G286. 

G295 is again plotted where there’s a bright star. 

I couldn’t quite see C306 at first, using the barlow, which is an open cluster in M31. But when I removed the barlow I could just get a glimpse of it in the right power [which I didn’t record]. Just enough contrast with the background to glimpse it. It really helps to have the zoom eyepiece. Just the very slightest coagulation in averted vision. 

Now I’m moving over to G1, which is the one way out to the SE. G1 is easy in my lowest power. Shows up very well. It forms a triangle with two stars to the NE. The start to the NNE is a double when I zoom in on it, aligned to point toward G1. I can tell G1 is not as pointlike as the two stars. Just slightly fuzzier. I had a fairly bright meteor go right through the field- yikes! G1 is slightly dimmer than the star next to it, but it provides a nice comparison. In 156x, it look like there may be something on the southern edge of G1, maybe a very faint star. The image makes it look like a triple star. I can see the two stars in the Hubble image. Makes me realize how good the Hubble image is! I can’t distinctly split those two stars from the globluar. It just looks fuzzy and that maybe makes the fuzziness more pronounced from the other two brighter stars nearby. 

I was also able to see G76. There are two stars of about the same brightness right there, which form a line and I have to zoom in to separate them from the globular. The one on the end is not it, the globular is the one just inside of hat. G76 is slightly offset to the NE from the line formed by those two stars, toward a brighter star off to the side. 

I tried for C107 but I couldn’t quite confirm it. I though I got glimpses of it but not enough to confirm. 

The last globular I’ll try for is G73, which is actually in M110. Not as bright as some of the others. 

Aug. 18-19, 2023, Sky Meadows State Park, VA

(10-inch) High enough out of the eastern glow to see pretty well. Wanted to see what I could make of the dark lanes, and actually without too much strain I can see the two main dark lanes, though not very well. Then I used the 2-inch 39x eyepiece and that's a really nice view. I can fit all three of the galaxies, M31, M110, and M32 in the same eye piece field of view with room to spare. Really cool.

Sep. 10-11, 2024, Shenandoah River State Park, VA

(6-inch) In 75x I can just make out the two dark lanes, which kind of surprises me. M110 is quite nice on its own. The elongation to it is quite evident. NGC 206 was also visible as a very slightly brighter patch.

NGC 891

NGC 891, C 23, UGC 1831, PGC 9031, MCG 7-5-46, CGCG 538-52, IRAS 02195+4209, IRAS 02193+4207

Type: Galaxy, Spiral

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 9.8

Notes:

Oct. 31 - Nov. 1, 1991, Ponderosa Park, Kissimmee, FL

(4.5-inch) Located area near NGC 891 (galaxy in Andromeda), could not see the galaxy though. Lost in sky glow, it's 12th mag. This was prep for locating 702 Alauda in a few days. Had no trouble identifying a variety of 12th mag. stars in the area of the galaxy, but the galaxy's light is too diffused. To find area, locate Gamma , then go up to a wide double, and straight north to the 6.8 mag. star in chart in Sky & Tel. that forms a triangle near the galaxy (sketch).

September 28, 1997, Lake Arthur Campground, PA

(4.5-inch) Very faintly visible in 50x. I have trouble discerning even the direction of alignment. Very strange how difficult it is, being so well-known. Burnham's lists it at about 12.1 mag. Looks like it has a blob on the northern end and a needle toward the southern end. There's a 10th mag star that really interferes with seeing it, just to the north of the nucleus, only a couple arcminutes away. The galaxy is plotted but not labeled on my Skalnate Pleso. I find that rather odd. I got the elongation right: I figured it was NNE to SSW, and looked it up. That's what it is. I'm really not seeing the northern needle tip, just the southern one. This one really doesn't jump out at me, but the more I look, the more detail I see. There's a clump on the southern end of it. There's a 12th mag star in that arm and just north of it there is a clump. There also appears to be a clump on the western side of the nucleus, just south of that 10th mag star by about 3 arcminutes or so. Can't make out the dark lane, but I might in time. Looking in 100x now. Still having trouble with the north end. Occasionally I get a fleeting glimpse of the tip.

I spent about 45 minutes on NGC 891. I get the full needle shape, but I just can't get the dark lane in any power. I can pick up all the major stars in the area from the picture.

Mar. 19-20,2007, Desert Coyote Observatory, Sierra Vista, AZ

(30-inch) I can see why it wasn't spectacular in the smaller (10-inch) scope. Very dim. For being such a large galaxy it's not very bright at all. I can easily see the dark lane, however, which pretty much divides it evenly in half. It's a nice thick dark lane, extending almost 2/3rds the length of my widest field of view in the zoom eyepiece. Can't really see much detail in the lighter parts, which are about equally bright. It's surprising to be able to see that dark lane considering how dim the galaxy actually is. Very interesting.

Mar. 3-4, 2008 (Mon. night), Desert Coyote Observatory, Sierra Vista, AZ

(30-inch) It's got a nice ghostly appearance. Dark lane, particularly in the central area is neat. It's a wonder the galaxy isn't brighter than it is, particularly in the central bulge. The bulge is a little brighter than the arms but there's not any real condensation there.

Oct. 4-5, 2023, Sky Meadows State Park, VA

(10 inch) It always amazes me how dim and large this one is. Very difficult in the sky in 100 to 150x in the barlow. It's just a thin, very faint, ill-defined smear. No sign of the dark lane. The glow is brighter and larger in the central bulge but it's very difficult to trace the arms out. I can see that it's a needle galaxy, but just can't see how far those arms go because they're just so faint and ill defined.

NGC 943

NGC 943, PGC 9459, MCG 8-5-14, CGCG 553-15, IRAS 02258+4812, 2MASS 02291042+4825566

Type: Galaxy, Spiral

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 15.1

Notes:

Oct. 24-25, 2003, Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park

(4.5-inch) I found NGC 942 and NGC 943, a pair of galaxies right next to each other. They're very very difficult to make out in these conditions. Seems like there's a star in there, too, or maybe a couple stars just west of the galaxies. They are very vague, so it must be pretty hazy. No way in the world they are both 11.3 mag if the haze isn't dimming them. (Later discovered the problem. It wasn't so much the haze as that The Sky had them plotted at 11.32 mag each, but the info box had one 11.32 and the other at 14.00, but I think they're both supposed to be very faint, per the Dreyer description. So the fact that I could see them at all is pretty good.)

NGC 752

NGC 752, C 28

Type: Open Cluster

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 5.69

(In the image, 56 And is one of the pair of stars to the SW of the cluster)

Notes:

Aug. 21-22, 2004 (Sat. night), Savage Farm, west of Leesburg, VA

(10-inch) A very large open cluster- good for binoculars. Fits in 39x. Not particularly rich. Kind of interesting in that the brightest stars form a triangle and there's a little chain of stars off to the E of the triangle, slightly NE.

Nov. 19-20, 2023, Sterling, VA

(4.5 inch) Shows up pretty decently, about 35 stars visible in the central field in 100x. If I haven't checked it out in a darker sky I probably should.

Sep.11-12, 2024, Shenandoah River State Park, VA

(15x70s) Great in binoculars. A nice large cluster and very rich in the center.

Sep. 18, 2026 (Fri. night), Sterling, VA

(102mm Mak) Smattering of stars in a large cluster. We put in the 25 mm eyepiece, which gives us 52x so it frames it much better.

NGC 7686

Object: NGC 7686

Type: Open Cluster

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 5.59

Notes:

October 24-25, 1995 (Tues. night) Isaak Walton field, Chambersburg PA

(4.5-inch) Pretty scattered. No real tight groupings. Couple of faint stars off to the WSW that are close. Binoculars show what looks like an interesting cluster to the SSW a couple of degrees, but in the scope it's just half a dozen or so 7th and 8th mag stars close together.

NGC 7662

NGC 7662, C 22, ARO 20, PK 106-17.1, PN G106.5-17.6, VV 285

Type: Planetary Nebula

Constellation: Andromeda

Mag: 8.3

Notes:

Nov. 12-13, 1993, Lake Kissimmee State Park Star Party, FL

(4.5-inch) Nice blue circle. SW side appears brighter. A little dark in the center- ring-shaped. In the 20-inch the donut shape is more pronounced- looks like two circles superimposed on each other, a little offset, similar to the Helix. Central star visible. S side is the thickest. The dark center is offset slightly to the N.

October 24-25, 1995 (Tues. night) Isaak Walton field, Chambersburg PA

(4.5-inch) Very bright, very round, fairly large (30 arc seconds). Wind a bit of a problem. A filled-in disk, slightly bluish in color- not much detail to see.

September 27, 1997, Lake Arthur Campground, PA

(4.5-inch) Very round. Appears filled in at all powers, particularly in 180x. It has a grainy look to it. It's not uniformly bright all around, but kind of spotty. Can't make out any central star. There is a 13th magnitude star about an arcminute to the east. Pretty well-defined edge to it also. I'm not seeing color too well tonight. It looks pretty much white. If anything it might have a slight greenish tint, but that may be more imagination and tired eyes than anything else. Also, there may be either a very faint star on the SE edge or else hints of a faint outer shell on that side, but again, who knows.

Nov. 20-21, 2003 (Thu. night), Sky Meadows State Park, VA

(4.5-inch) In 50x found it pretty easily. In 100x it's nice but no detail really visible. A very faint hint of blue. Better image scale in 200x. Star to the ESE. Can't get a sharp image on any stars due to the seeing. Faint star 2' or so E of the nebula, then a brighter star to the S about four times the distance. In 360x, a nice image scale, but the stars are just blobs. No detail in any power.

Oct. 6, 2004 (Wed. night), Savage Farm, west of Leesburg, VA

(10-inch) In 114x just a round blob. I don't see much of a blue color tonight. Maybe I've been looking at the red light of the computer filter too much. A hint of mottling. Need a bigger image scale. In 178x pretty much the same. Impression that the edges are a little brighter than the central area, and not particularly even. Irregular edges, maybe a little more faint stuff sticking out N and S, but not by much if there is anything. Still not much of a blue color to it. I think my eyes just don't pick up blue very well.

Sep. 15, 2026 (Tue. night), Sterling, VA

(102mm Mak) Easily visible. In 186x, gray and round with somewhat diffuse edges. Some mottling trending toward a hint of annularity. Backing off the power to 62x, I can discern a very slight bluish tint.

Sep  18, 2026 (Fri. night), Sterling, VA

(102mm Mak) Nice bright fuzzball. Some mottling in there and diffuse edges, just like I saw the last time I took a look at it.

Telescopes/binoculars used in these observations:

7x35: Tasco low end porro prism binoculars
10x50: Orion Ultraview 10x50 porro prism binoculars
10x56: Meade Master Class Pro ED 10x56 roof prism binoculars: 6.5 degrees (65 deg. AFOV), 5.6mm exit pupil, 22mm eye relief
15x70: Garrett Optical Signature Series 15x70: 4.4 degrees (66 deg. AFOV), 4.7mm exit pupil, 18mm eye relief
4.5 inch: 4.5-inch (114mm) Tasco 11TR (.965" eyepieces- Orion Explorer II) - 900mm focal length, f/7.9
102mm/4-inch: Sky-Watcher Skymax 102mm (4-inch) Maksutov-Cassegrain, 1300mm focal length, f/12.7 on either an SV225 mount on tripos or Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi tracking mount.
6-inch: 5.9-inch (150mm) Sky-Watcher Virtuos GTi 150P – 750mm focal length, f/5
BVAC 10-inch: Homemade 10-inch Dobsonian reflector on loan from local astronomy club. Believe it was around f/4 or f/4.5
10-inch: 9.75-inch  (248mm) Hardin (GSO) Deep Space Hunter Dobsonian reflector on teflon/ebony star bearings. 1250 mm focal length, f/5
30-inch: Rented truss tube Dobsonian reflector

Sites (listed alphabetically): 
Estimated light pollution, using the Bortle Scale, around the general time the observations were made. Most sites from years ago are now significantly more light polluted. 

Arizona Sky Village, Portal, AZ: Bortle 2
Reston, VA: Bortle 7
Big Meadows, Shenandoah Nat. Park, VA: Bortle 3-4
Blackwater Falls State Park, WV: Bortle 4
Brighton Twp. PA: Bortle 5-6
Bull Creek WMA, east of Holopaw, FL: Bortle 2
Caledonia State Park PA: Bortle 5
Chautauqua, NY: Bortle 4-5
Cherry Springs State Park, PA: Bortle 2
Chiefland Star Fest, Chiefland, FL: Bortle 3
Crockett Park near Manassas, VA: Bortle 5-6, more sky glow to the east and northeast
Delmarva Stargaze at Tuckahoe State Park, MD: Bortle 5?
Desert Coyote Observatory, Sierra Vista, AZ: Bortle 4
Gibsonia, PA: Bortle 6
Great Meadow, SW of The Plains, VA: Bortle 6, more sky glow to the east
Hearts Content Recreation Area, Allegheny Natl. Forest, PA: Bortle 3
Isaak Walton field, Chambersburg PA: Bortle 4-5
James River State Park, VA: Bortle 3-4
Lake Arthur Family Campground, PA (near Moraine State Park, PA, north of Pittsburgh): Bortle 3
Lake Kissimmee State Park Star Party, FL: Bortle 2-3
Mahogany Hammock, Everglades, FL: Bortle 1-2
Lamping Homestead Picnic/campground area, Wayne National Forest, near Marietta OH: Bortle 4
Oil Region Star Party (Astroblast), near Franklin PA: Bortle 4
Pittburgh, PA (Highland Park): Bortle 7
Ponderosa Park, Kissimmee, FL: Bortle 4, often excellent seeing
Prince of Peace Church, Freedom, PA: Bortle 5, more sky glow to the south
Savage Farm, west of Leesburg, VA: Bortle 4, with strong sky glow to the east from Washington, DC and the Northern VA suburbs
Shenandoah River State Park, VA: Bortle 4
Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park: Bortle 3-4, more sky glow to the east
Sky Meadows State Park, VA: Bortle 4-5, considerably more sky glow to the east up about 30 degrees
Sterling, VA: Bortle 8 (very washed out urban sky in the Northern VA suburbs)
Tamiami Trail, Florida Everglades: Bortle 3
The Mountain Institute, Spruce Knob, WV: Bortle 1-2, very minor light domes near the horizon
Three Lakes WMA, FL: Bortle 1-2
Tomlinson Run State Park, WV: Bortle 5
Wagman Observatory, Amateur Astronomers Assoc. of Pittsburgh, near Russellton PA: Bortle 5

Lots of observations

I've collected quite a few observational notes over more than 30 years of observing. I do very little observing lately because of my declining health (cancer), but I have personal observing logs going all the way back to around 1990. Because I don't do equipment reviews and want to provide unique material whenever possible, I thought I'd start posting some of my observations from over the years. I hope you might find them useful when comparing to your own observations.

I have always been casual with my observing logs. They are not a scientific record, but more a personal record of my stargazing adventures. A couple years ago I wrote a post about how I do my logs, and I started extracting the notes for specific objects and putting them into a database. What I think I'll do is start posting some extracts from that database. I'm hoping this will be of interest when you make your own observations and want to compare what you saw with what someone else saw. I've always enjoyed that myself.

Stay tuned for the first posts. I think I'll organize them by constellation and then maybe group them by type of object (galaxy, cluster, planetary nebula, etc.). Using the "Search this Blog" function in the upper right should get you to the constellation desired and hopefully the individual object of your desire! 

I also encourage comments to share your own observations in comparison. I'm always struck by how variable my own views of the same object can be from night to night, year to year, and with different instruments. These vary from 7x35 binoculars to a 30-inch reflector (not mine, unfortunately)!

Easy to make light and wind screen

Most of us are having to contend with worsening light pollution at our homes or other observing sites, and not just the overall sky glow, but nearby lights. Since LEDs became cheap and widely available, people just have to have more and more lighting. Many still think it deters crime (it doesn't), so they add lights, always brighter and rarely properly shielded. I can count at least nine lights, sometimes more, that are consistently in my eyes in my front yard, where I have to observe (trees in back). I also have cars stopped at a nearby traffic light whose headlights point directly at me.

But you can fight back, as I noted in my article on building a "Redneck Observatory," with stuff you have around your house or garage, if you have one. One of the items I used was an old PVC pipe target stand I used to use for .22 target practice out at an unsupervised public range. I added a wood frame and a blanket. I'll use that light screen more often than setting frames up against my garbage cans because I observe more now on a grassy strip on my front lawn and it's sometimes messy to roll the cans across the grass. I decided to make a second one to block out the lights across the street and the headlights and lights 90 degrees around from there.

Some people say they do fine just using a hood over their head, and I do use a hoodie to reduce light trespass into my eye and eyepiece, but I find it's just not very satisfying to see all those lights glaring at me as soon as I raise the hood. I also don't like being lit up like daylight and unaware of what's around me. If that works for you, though, no need to bother with a screen. But I think there is a primodial desire for shelter from outside intrusions that makes the screens, or an observatory, much more satisfying. It's kind of like a snow fort for amateur astronomers!

Light screen

The light screen consists of a base of 1-1/2" PVC pipe in two upside down "T" configurations that holds a taller frame of 1x2 or 2x2 furring strips (or fancier wood if the spirit and wallet moves you; that's a piece of old baseboard molding in the picture). Over that you drape a cheap moving blanket and use plastic spring clamps to hold it to the frame. The height depends on where the lights are in relation to your eyepiece height and how much room you want to maneuver. This one stands 72" tall to block out lights from right across the street. Do some measurements at night to be sure you end up with what you need.

Why the moving blanket? You could use a tarp, but I'm in a residential neighborhood and poly tarps tend to be noisy with any kind of wind. Moving blankets are cheap, they block out all the light, they are relatively heavyweight so they don't flap aound much, and when they do, they are quiet. You can also use them as blankets when observing from a recliner or to pack around your telescope.

Schedule 40 PVC pipe is generally sold in the United States in 10' lengths. My car can only fit an 8' length, so I used the self-cutting molding station in the store to cut off two feet of it. You could also bring a hacksaw and cut it in the parking lot, but then you'd be spreading plastic sawdust all over. Pine furring strips or their equivalent are usually 8', so no problem there. 

You'll use four PVC "T" fittings to make the joints. These are friction fit together so you can take it apart as needed.

The process, in a nutshell, is to cut the PVC pipe, assemble it, cut the furring strips, and assemble the frame. The frame just sits in the pipe openings.

Wind screen

The light screen can do double duty as a wind screen if you substitute 2x2s for the 1x2s and stake the feet into the ground or weight them down with something, which would be necessary if you set up on pavement. The  blanket shown is a small 72x40" (actual 70x39").

Depending on whether you sit or stand, and how tall your setup is, you may also want to lower the height, as shown at left.

You can adjust the width of the PVC feet by cutting different lengths for the cross piece. 

Note that  you'll want the side facing us in the image at left to be on the windward side so the blanket is blown against the frame. You can use additional spring clips to hold the lower part of the blanket to the frame if necessary.

Be realistic about how strong a wind it will be able to handle, and build accordingly.

Staking down the four feet will help keep the screen in place with some wind. I wouldn't set it up in wind over about 15 mph so you don't risk it plowing over your telescope if it lets go. You be the judge. (Put the stakes all the way in. I didn't bother for this picture but it'll keep it anchored better.)

If you're on pavement, use weights instead, but they have to be more than about 10 lbs. per side to hold it in any kind of wind. Leaving space below the blanket at the bottom will help it from becoming a sail. You want the protection at the level of the scope tube.

Parts list

• One 10" long 1-1/2" (inner diameter, it's marked on the pipe) Schedule 40 PVC pipe.
• Four PVC 1-1/2" Ts (S-S-S) for pressure applications. Make sure all three openings are 1-1/2" and smooth inside, not threaded. Don't get cleanout Ts, the pipe won't go in straight in the middle connection. The cleanout Ts to avoid have a slight curve to the outer contour.
• Three 8" long 1x2" furring strips (or 2x2" if  you want it to be sturdier to stand up to higher wind, at the expense of a bit heavier frame). Seems that the big box hardware store selection gets worse every year. Cull through the boards to find the least warped, twisted, split, and otherwise pathetic specimens you can find. Find a good lumber yard instead if you can. You can use treated or untreated wood. Treated will be more expensive and heavier. Unless you are leaving the screen out in the elements (not recommended) you really don't need treated.
• Eight wood screws. Make sure they are long enough to join the two pieces of wood together firmly without protruding out the back side. 1-1/4" should work for 1x2s (which are really 3/4x3/4) and 1x2s to 2x2s (which are anywhere from 1-1/4" to 1-1/2", pressure-treated being somewhat smaller), as long as you put them through the 1x2 first.
• Alternative to wood screws: Four 1/4-20 knobs and four 1/4-20 T-nuts (less than 3/4" long). This allows you to disassemble the frame for transportation.
• Cheap moving blanket or other blanket. A smaller size, like this 70x39" blanket (actual measurement) won't cover the entire frame from top to ground, but you probably don't need to, and it's lighter and less bulky than a larger blanket. Really, any blanket or tarp will work, depending on what you want. You can size the frame to fit whatever blanket works for you.
• Four steel nail-type stakes (such as these) or weights (bags of grass seed or soil work well on pavement).
• Four to six plastic spring clamps for holding the blanket to the frame.
  
  

Tools

• Wood saw of some kind
• Hacksaw or wood saw to cut the PVC pipe (unless you have a suitable pipecutter for 1-1/2" pipe).
• Electric drill, with a countersink bit that matches your wood screw size (size 6 or 8 should work) and an 11/16" bit for drilling the PVC pipe to accept typical steel nail peg stakes
• Phillips screwdriver
• Sandpaper
• Paint if you want to paint the wood

Build it

You can adjust any measurement as you see fit, especially if you plan on transporting it in your car, but these are my suggested dimensions.

Cut the following pieces of PVC pipe:

• (4 pieces) 16" each (these are the feet)
• (2 pieces) 9" each (these are the lower uprights)
• (2 pieces) 4" each (these are the upper uprights)
• (1 piece) 24 to 30" as you desire (this is the crosspiece and will determine the width of the frame uprights). The frame in the images at the beginning of the article has a 24" PVC crosspiece, for reference.

If you want the widest possible spread between uprights and you have to cut the pipe to fit it in your car on the way home from the store, cut a 30" piece off the 10' length in the store.  You can always shorten it, but that will allow  you to cut all the other pieces to the dimensions above for a total of 120". After each cut, use a small piece of sandpaper to clean the cut edges. Sweep or vacuum up all the plastic dust and bits. Wear a mask so you don't get plastic particles in your lungs.

Brace each foot piece in a vise, clamps, or wood, and carefully drill a hole just big enough for the stakes you are using through both walls of each end, about 3 inches from the ends. The stakes will go through these holes into the ground, if you use them.

Assemble the pipe frame as shown in the image at right.

Now, decide how high you need the wood uprights to be. You will be putting the wood uprights into the open pipe holes. I cut two 8" pieces of 1x2 and slip them into the pipes first. This allows the uprights to be shorter and still give me the height I want.

Left: An 8" piece of 1x2 dropped into the upright pipe from above will compensate for making the wood upright 8" shorter and easier to transport.

Cut the wood uprights from 1x2s (or 2x2s for a heavier frame). Cut a wood crosspiece to span across the two uprights as a brace. Cut a crosspiece for the top of the wood frame, over which you will drape or attach the blanket. This will probably be wider than the pipe base because you want good coverage with the narrowest base that will be stable. I used leftover wide baseboard molding for my top crosspieces, but you can use a piece of 1x2. 

If you use 2x2s for the uprights you will probably have to shave the four corner edges down some on the lower 8" of the upright so they'll fit snugly into the pipes. The 1x2s should fit without modification.

Left: I had to shave the ends of the 2x2 uprights down with an orbital sander so they would fit into the pipes. 

If you're making this more wind resistant, use 2x2s instead of the 1x2s for the uprights, but you can probably stick with 1x2s for the crosspieces. The lighter the frame is, the easier it is to set up, and the more likely you are to use it. The heavier it is, the more wind resistant. It's a tradeoff.

You can fasten the wood frame together with wood screws, two at each joint. However, to make it portable so you can take it to a darker site that maybe has an annoying light or two or is often windy, you can instead drill holes where the pieces connect, then insert knobs through the two pieces and fasten them with nuts or wingnuts. 1/4-20 threads should be fine.

Left: Using knobs instead of wood screws to attached the frame crosspiece. I have the pieces labeled with painter's tape so I can reassemble it easily. The hole in the side of the upright was a mistake. It's easy for a bumbling woodworker like me to not to get the hole straight, so I had to redo it on the other face of the 2x2. 

Right: Close up of the knob attachment point. Use a flat washer on both sides, and a nut or wingnut on the back side. These are all 1/4-20 size threads.

Here is the finished frame for the transportable wind screen. You can drill additional sets of holes in the uprights for a variety of heights.

To pack the screen in a car, you detach the center cross pipe in the base and the crosspiece or pieces of the wood frame. Consider the length of the uprights in this case so they fit comfortably in your car (maybe with ends in the passenger seat footwell, extending through the gap between front seats, and across the tops of the back seats). This is why I like the 8" pieces of wood inserted into the pipes first. That allows you to use shorter uprights.

Once you have everything cut, sand the wood so you don't get splinters and paint it if desired, mostly to smooth the surface further and protect it from dew and other moisture. Bare wood and the white PVC pipe will show up well at night, but if you use it as a wind screen in a really dark sky, you might want to sew or tape some white fabric or tape to parts of the blanket so no one walks into it in the dark. If you have a site that dark, I envy you!

Why not make the whole screen frame with PVC pipe? I used to have one I designed that used 3/4" pipe, shown at left, and it worked well for a while, but after some years the pipes were either too loose or too tight and setting it up and taking it down became a chore. My wife sewed the fabric with pockets to slip the pipes into and velcro tabs. The wind would often pop it apart and eventually broke a couple of pieces. So I recommend a hybrid PVC and wood frame. It's also lighter and cheaper. PVC pipe has gone up a lot in price.

Amateur astronomy things I've learned

• Someone always has a better view. Don't chase someone else's view.
• Your observing skill and enthusiasm are more important than the equipment you use.
• Knowing a little about what you are looking at makes it much more interesting.
• A dark sky is better than a big telescope. (But a big telescope in a dark sky is heavenly.)
• The best telescope is the one you are currently looking through.
• You can adapt your observing to any level of light pollution, no matter how bad.
• Aperture rules...until the spine, the spouse, and the savings account have their say
• Non-astronomers LOVE lights at night.
• Never sell a telescope unless you really hate it or need the money to buy a different one. Or need to eat.
• Amateur astronomy is a hobby.
• Pursue your passion but remember your family and friends may not share it.
• Outreach is great but there's nothing wrong with observing by yourself.
• Get used to clouds. According to NASA Earth Observatory, only 30% of land on Earth is completely clear of clouds at any given time. Cherish those clear nights.
• Apropos of the above, always acquire any new deep sky observing gear after new moon.
• If I don't write it down, I'll forget, or "misremember," most of what I observe. That's why I keep an observing log.
• If you're not enjoying it, don't do it. Take a break and come back later. That might be 5 minutes or 10 years.
• You are not weird for being into astronomy. The rest of the world is weird for not being into it.
• Collimation is not a four letter word.
• Comfort is king.
• Dress warmer than you think you'll need to.
• The universe is really big. We are an incredibly miniscule and short-lived part of it, but we're still significant.
• Your time on Earth is limited. Make time for the people and things you love.
  
  

Eyepiece Cheat Codes: Binocular astronomy

One of the common pieces of advice for amateur astronomers who are just starting out is to get binoculars. The reasons are that you can get a decent pair for less than a mediocre telescope, they are intuitive, compact, and easy to use, they help you learn the sky, and they will be useful no matter how experienced an observer you become. In addition, you can also use them for nature viewing, sports, and many other situations.

The main drawback to binoculars is that they don't magnify as much as telescopes and you can't change that magnification, at least for handheld binoculars. There are larger binoculars and  binocular telescopes that do both, but these tend to be very heavy and very expensive.

A second complaint is that it's difficult to take advantage of them fully for astronomy because holding them introduces shakiness and fatigue. Try keeping your hand on a telescope while you observe with it and you see how much it degrades the image.

But the beauty of binoculars are manifold. They allow you to use both of your eyes. They are eminently portable. They are uncomplicated: just point and focus. They have a wide field of view. They are inexpensive for the quality you get. They are widely available in many different size and magnification combinations. They are versatile. They are the ultimate "grab-n-go" astronomy gear.

Astroboy cartoon by Astronomerica.

Mounting binoculars

Besides learning how to hold it steady, you are going to get better views by mounting your binoculars in some way. For lower powered binoculars like 7x35 or 7x50 you can keep them pretty steady handheld, but once you get to around 10x50, even with a steady hold, you will still not get the good views that you would get if you mounted them. Also, any binoculars get tiring after holding them up with your arms for a few minutes.

For those reasons, many astronomers mount their binoculars. Most use a photo tripod or a monopod, but this limits the freedom of movement somewhat and certainly makes it uncomfortable to observe high in the sky, where the sky is usually darkest and most transparent. You can observe sitting down, but not in a reclining chair without difficulty. The best uses of a tripod are for objects lower in the sky, which is often the southern summer Milky Way for North American observers, and comets, which are often close to the Sun and visibly at their best shortly after sunset or before sunrise. I find a tripod very limiting overall.

Another option is the parallelogram mount. These are commercially available or you can build your own. I built one from plans in Astronomy magazine years ago, and while it worked okay, it was bulky and heavy. You have to adjust it if you move your chair to look at a different part of the sky. Commercial options are somewhat limited lately, and they are relatively expensive. Because I have to travel to observe in a darker sky, I don't have much room left after the Dobsonian telescope and other gear is loaded, so I don't want another big piece of gear and a tripod to mess with.

Some people don't bother with mounting and buy image stabilized binoculars instead. I've tried them and they're okay, but I get a bit dizzy using them. They are also quite expensive. You still have the fatigue of holding them up, and they are generally heavier than the same size non-stabilized binoculars.

My own preference is to build and use the compact, simple, and inexpensive Bino Body Mount (left), which you can use to observe anywhere in the sky (best up high) in a zero gravity chair for maximum flexibility and comfort. This lets you keep your elbows down by your side and transfers most of the weight to your shoulders directly, rather than through your eye sockets and arms. It preserves the freedom of motion of handheld binoculars and you can get views so steady that only your heartbeat is discernible.

What other equipment do I need?

Binoculars are the only essential equipment. There are many articles and videos about choosing binoculars. Generally, the higher the power the narrower the field of view. The larger the objective lens, the fainter and finer detail you will be able to see.

My recommendation is 7x50s if you are in the first half of your life and just beginning. They are easier to hold steady, have a wider field, lower power, big exit pupil (second number divided by the first, i.e., 50/7=7.1mm exit pupil) that young eyes can fully take advantage of. I recommend 10x50s, 15x70s, or 20x80s especially if you are older or interested in viewing more than starry vistas and want to locate individual objects like smaller star clusters, globular clusters, some nebulas, galaxies, and the like. These are the binoculars I recommend for my binocular audio guides "Space Walk Among the Stars."

But you'll really improve your observing and comfort with a reclining chair. A zero gravity chair is best because, unlike most other recliners, you don't need to manipulate the arms with both hands to change the reclining angle. Instead, you just transfer your weight between your feet and shoulders to change the angle, or altitude. The only drawback is the same as any chair: you have to get up and move it to view a different part of the sky. This leads some DIYers to build rotating platforms for their chairs. I recently built one, although I haven't got it quite right yet.

Left: Reader Mike (Telescope Guy) using his homemade rotating chair mount with his Bino Body Mount. Can't get much better than that!

For cold or cooler nights, besides dressing appropriately, a blanket laid on the chair will help insulate you from the cold air between the underside of your chair and the ground. I like to use a cheap moving blanket, but any blanket will do.

Unless you are just casually scanning the sky only, you will need some type of star chart, planisphere, or app. I use an app (Sky Safari Pro) with night vision turned on. Some will argue that this little bit of red light still disturbs your night vision, but I haven't found that to be the case unless I am observing in a super dark location, which doesn't happen very often. You'll have the same issue if you use a dim red flashlight and a paper chart, which to me is way too fussy for observing with binoculars. Even if  you don't have a specific observing list in mind, it's nice to be able to look up something you spotted to see what it is. I just attach my phone to the arm of my chair so I know where it is and it doesn't end up on the ground.

If you observe where dew is prevalent, you can add a pair of USB dew heaters made for camera lenses and power them with a phone power bank, which I recommend you carry in a pouch around your neck. If it's really dewy, and I've experienced this, or you are sweating from setting up, you can use a small battery operated pocket fan to clear the eyepiece lenses periodically.

What to look at

Well really, the sky's the limit. You can look at anything you want. But some things are too small and dim and are best left to telescopes.

The "Space Walk Among the Stars: Binocular Edition" audio guides are a great way to learn different areas of the sky and what objects are there. I suggest that you start with them.

Besides the Space Walks, here is a list of the types of objects you can view well in binoculars, with some examples for Northern Hemisphere observers. It's difficult to simulate the binocular view for each, other than adjusting the scale and dimming it down some from images, which I have done just to try to give you an idea of scale and brightness. But images just can't capture the sparkling beauty, color, and contrast with the sky that stars show visually. You'll find that these objects will appear much more entrancing in your binoculars, and you may end up staring at them longer than you expect. 

I've compiled an observing list of all the named objects below plus a few more, except comets and asteroids, in .skylist format for Sky Safari Plus and Pro. Download to your phone or tablet and import into Sky Safari Pro or Plus. Do this by emailing the .skylist file to yourself, open the email on your device, download it, then select the file, select "open with" and choose Sky Safari. You'll get an acknowledgment that it was imported. The list will show up as "Imported List" followed by the date and time. You can rename it in Sky Safari. 

1. Comets. I think brighter comets are best viewed in binoculars. The really good ones require a large field of view, larger than most telescopes, the tail shows best, and they're easiest to find quickly in binoculars. These tend to be brightest, with the longest tails, when they are closest to the  Sun. Therefore, low in the west in the evening and in the east in the morning is where you'll often be looking. The window for best viewing in these situations is often fairly short, so you want to be able to hop out before or after work or school and catch them.

Above: Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) by Kevin Gill, via Flickr, CC by 2.0.

2. Star fields. One of the truly amazing sights in amateur astronomy is getting out to a dark sky and just scanning the Milky Way with binoculars. Sometimes that's all I do, and I may not even set up my telescope. Binoculars (and the unaided eye in a dark sky) are the best instrument for these wide field vistas. A wide field refractor can be great, too, but being able to lie back, using two eyes, and the freedom to move around the sky easily with an orientation matching your unaided eye are huge advantages for binoculars. Check out M24, the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, the area around Sadr in Cygnus, and the Belt of Orion for some standouts.

Above: Simulated binocular view of a star field in Sagittarius (adapted from Aladin Lite)

3. Open star clusters. There are many larger and brighter open clusters that are easily visible in even small binoculars. Some of the best are the Hyades and the Pleiades in Taurus, the Double Cluster (NGC 869 and 884) and M34 in Perseus, M35 in Gemini, IC 4756 in Serpens (Cauda), M44 (the Beehive) in Cancer, M23 in Sagittarius, M7 in Scorpius, NGC 752 in Andromeda, NGC 7209 in Lacerta, NGC 6940 in Vulpecula, M46 in Puppis, and NGC 2360 in Canis Major. Many globular clusters can also be spotted in binoculars, but they invariably look like little fuzzballs unless you have very large binoculars.

Above: M35 in Gemini. (Astrophoto Andy, via Flickr, CC by 2.0, brightess/contrast adjusted, cropped and rotated)

4. Asterisms. These are groups of stars that form patterns even if they may not be actual gravitationally bound clusters. You can probably find your own by scanning the sky, and many of them are best seen with the naked eye (Big Dipper or the Plough in Ursa Major, the Backwards Question Mark in Leo, the Keystone in Hercules, the Teapot in Sagittarius), but a couple of the most famous ones for binoculars are the Coathanger (Collinder 399) in Vulpecula, and Kemble's Cascade in Camelopardalis.

Above: The Coathanger asterism. Simulated binocular view.

5. Nebulas. You need a darker sky to view most nebulas in binoculars. Some of the brightest are the Orion Nebula (M42), which will show up even in bad light pollution, the North American Nebula (NGC 7000) and the Veil Nebula (NGC 6992 and NGC 6960, etc.) in Cygnus, the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) in Aquarius, the Lagoon Nebula (M8) in Sagittarius, and the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) in Vulpecula. If you're in a really dark sky, you might also be able to pick out dark nebulas, which are clouds of obscuring dust that make it seem like there is a ragged black hole in the star field.

Above: The Helix Nebula, NGC 7293. Simulated binocular view adapted from Aladin Lite.

6. Galaxies. Most galaxies are relatively small objects, and some of the smaller but brighter ones can be seen in binoculars. The bigger, brighter ones are the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) in Andromeda, M33 in Triangulum (need a pretty dark sky), and NGC 5128 in Centaurus (if you're far enough south).

Left: Galaxy M33. Simulated binocular view adapted from Aladin Lite.

7. Interesting stars. Many double stars, variables, and colorful stars are good for binoculars. A very steady hold with 10x or higher binoculars will split the colorful double Albireo. Any stars with reasonably close magnitudes with a separation of about 30 arc seconds or more are fair game for binocular observation. You might do better or worse, but that's about the practical limit for most people with 10x binoculars.

Above: Double star Nu Draconis (Kuma). Although this simulated binocular view adapted from Aladin Lite makes it look very difficult to split, at 62.3 arcseconds separation, mounted or steadily held 10x50s can do half that.

8. Asteroids. Asteroids look like stars except they appear to change position over a matter of hours or days, depending on the magnification you are using. Binoculars can be used to view stars and asteroids to approximately 11th magnitude, depending on your sky, your binoculars, your observing experience, and the density of the star field. Here's a list of 25 asteroids that are often viewable in binoculars. Magnitudes of asteroids do vary as they orbit the Sun, so sometimes you can catch dimmer ones during a favorable apparition. Sketch their position from one night to the next to verify you have the right "star." Apps like Sky Safari Pro let you do a canned search on the night's brightest asteroids. I looked at tonight's list, and there are 14 asteroids brighter than 11th magnitude, however not all of them are well placed in the sky to view at any given time.

Above: Asteroids vary tremendously in shape and size. This diminutive walnut-shaped asteroid, Dinkinesh, shows a typically irregular shape. Only the largest asteroids become somewhat spherical, and they are some of the brightest, consistently visible in binoculars, unlike this dinky guy. (NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOIRLab/Brian May (yes, the Queen guitarist)/Claudia Manzoni). This is a parallel view stereogram. How to view.

9. The Moon and planets. All eight planets can be spotted in binoculars at different times of the year. You won't see any details (except for Earth!), but Saturn looks oblong when the rings are tilted and you can see up to four of the moons of Jupiter, depending on where they are in their orbits. The Moon supposedly shows 100 craters in binoculars, but I haven't counted, and I think it would drive me crazy trying to sort out the ones in the southern hemisphere. Larger objectives may blow out your vision on the Moon. I can't take the full Moon in my 15x70s without some kind of filter.

Above: Jupiter will show up as a tiny disk with no detail. Up to four moons can be seen, depending on their positions in orbit around the planet. Simulated binocular view.

While some people may observe the Sun with proper filters on their binoculars, I don't recommend it because you are looking in its direction and you can be blinded if you pull the binoculars away from your eyes even momentarily.

Technique

Advanced binocular observers often say you can get steady views and reduce fatigue with proper handheld technique (the way you cup your hands around the binoculars and rest them on your eye socket bone structure, etc.), but most people intuitively gravitate to a technique that works for them. That's the beauty of binoculars. But you still won't get the steadiest views without some kind of mounting (see above). 

Some people also say that they rest their arms on the chair arms to steady the view. Well, I don't know what kind of chair they are using, but for every chair I've ever used, the arms are way too low for that and I end up scrunching way down so my head is where my butt should be. Not comfortable or healthy!

Most multipurpose binoculars have a center-focus wheel that you turn with one or two fingers to focus both eyepieces at the same time. This allows you to quickly refocus for terrestrial viewing and is best if your binoculars are not strictly for astronomy. They will have a diopter adjustment on the right eyepiece that allows you to turn a ring to adjust for the inevitable difference between how your two eyes focus. 

Right: The diopter adjuster ring is usually on the right eyepiece. In the case of these 8x42s, adjustment marks are molded into the rubber armor just below the ring. This binocular also has eyecups that adjust by twisting them in or out for the desired eye relief, great for glasses wearers or to get just the right eye placement.

To use the diopter, first find a bright star field, close your right eye, and use the main focus wheel to focus for your left eye only. Stars should be pinpoints, or at least as small as you can make them. Then, close your left eye and using only the diopter ring, focus for your right eye only. Then look with both eyes and tweak the adjustment as needed.

Left: My 15x70s have individually focused eyepieces.That's true with many larger binoculars made for astronomy or long distance viewing only.

For astronomy, many binoculars focus each eyepiece individually, because once you are focused at infinity, you shouldn't need to refocus. You just turn the ring on the outside of each eyepiece and you shouldn't need to mess with it again. In my experience, individual focusing eyepieces hold their focus better and prevent my obsessive-compulsive tendencies from causing me to be continuously tweaking focus, so I like them better for astronomy.

When viewing a specific object, first look at it or the area with the unaided eye, facing it straight on, then without moving your face or gaze, bring the binoculars up between your eyes and the object. If you consistently have your binoculars too high or too low, make the adjustment until you typically have them right on the object each time. With practice you'll find objects more reliably this way, although it can still be frustrating even with practice. Don't get bent out of shape if you can't find something the first time. You can always scan around and compare the view to a chart to see where you are. Especially in a dark sky, it's easy to get lost among the stars. But that's kind of the point, isn't it!

Reducing glare

Unfortunately, we often have to observe with lights around us, not just skyglow. You can set up some screens or other objects to block out the lights (I'm working on an article for a DIY light screen), but you can't always block all of them. Even in a dark sky there's usually some light somewhere and the general glow from parts of the sky or the Moon.

Above: The Bino Bandit glare shield.

I find the Bino Bandit binocular glare shield to be a worthy investment, despite the relatively high cost for what it is. I've tried making something similar and failed miserably. It's made of neoprene and has two holes in it that stretch over your binocular eyepieces. You can get rubber eyeguards, but the Bino Bandit blocks the light from all angles. In addition, it leaves a little more air around your eyes so the lenses won't fog up as easily, and works with eyeglasses. It's easy to switch it from one pair of binoculars to another. I find it great for daytime viewing, too.

Using filters

Filters have limited use for binoculars, but they can help on certain nebulas. The problem is that they are designed to be fitted at the bottom end of the eyepiece, but with binoculars they must be threaded in front of the eyepiece, if the binoculars even have threaded eyepieces. This degrades the view, but can still help in some cases. I wouldn't buy a filter just for binocular observing, but if you have one for your telescope you might try it out.

If your eyepieces aren't threaded, you can try holding a filter between your eye and the eyepiece, which is not easy to do. A 2" filter is easier. 

Left: A UHC (Ultra High Contrast) type filter on one eyepiece will enhance a bright nebula, and the non-filtered eyepiece will still give you the full star field: the best of both worlds.

If you do have threaded eyepieces, use a UHC narrowband filter and thread it on one of them. This will give you a filtered view that enhances the nebula but dims down the stars in one eye, and gives an unfiltered, fully illuminated view in the other eye. 

I find a UHC filter helps on the larger and brighter binocular nebulas such as the North Ameircan Nebula, the Helix Nebula, and some of the brighter summer southern Milky Way nebulas. I don't have an OIII filter, but you might try that on the Veil Nebula or Helix Nebula if your sky is relatively dark. I can usually see the Eastern Veil from a Bortle 4 or 5 sky without any filter.